Crosspoint: Issue 1
by Windgrail
Summary: A PRJLA crossover. An inter-dimensional portal has given way for a Grand Monarch to invade and assimulate non-PR universes, where DC Comic Heroes live and fight. The Justice League and the Power Rangers team up to save their universes.
1. Illusions

Issue One, Act One  
  
Day of the Portal  
  
Published by AK Comics and Force Factor Entertainment  
  
Written by James Adams and Windgrail  
  
Cover Art by Windgrail and Cole  
  
Editing by Cole  
  
Scene One  
  
Illusions  
  
And there it was again, the all-too-familiar viewing screen that gazed at Andros' pearl-dark pupil. The screen again replayed the same haunting surveillance data recovered from a Karovian scavenger. Andros had now memorized every second of the footage, yet was cursed to draw himself in a little deeper with each showing. Even with all the grief, and all the regret that came along with it, he was compelled to analyze the ill-fated battle. Grief, he thought, is a crutch I've used long enough. It's demoralized me more than Drake ever could. The dormant passion vengeance Andros now had ignited was not to be ignored any longer.  
  
"Deca," he said, his right fist cupped against his tilted lips as he  
remained stationed at the captain's chair of the bridge. "...How  
close?"  
  
"ASTRO MEGASHIP MARK II"  
  
The plated sign was mounted in all of the twenty-some rooms of the ten decks of the ship. And above each one was a small protruding black camera with a bright red light consuming the lens. The cameras were mandible via the hardened cord connecting them to the walls. The one on the bridge, to Andros' left, turned to face him and a deep feminine voice echoed with a response.  
  
"Destination in Bandora Galaxy will be acquired in ninety seconds," spoke the monotone voice.  
  
Andros' sole response was a simple nodding, his fist remaining. Again, he started the surveillance CD over.  
  
"Andros," Deca continued with an offensive remark, "the energy readings within this galaxy are too critical. It is suggested that you pull back."  
  
He didn't blink now. Andros watched as the tipped-end of a bladed staff pierced through the sternum of his comrade. And as Andros watched, his eyes stayed fixed on the staff's architectural design, its distinctive curves and thickness, and the blood of his best friend which stained it.  
  
"Show me the cryo-chamber, Deca."  
  
The viewing screen instantly shifted from the Silver Ranger collapsing lifelessly in front of morphed Andros to that which displayed a cryo- genetically frozen body encased within a misty bed.  
  
"Her vitals?" he asked softly, abandoning his authoritative tone.  
  
"Vitals read critical. Life expectancy is still uncertain."  
  
"It's been two years, Deca. How can you still be uncertain?"  
  
Deca's camera extended out over the left doorway, snaking around ten feet and scanning Andros' eyes.  
  
"It is our nature to hold onto illusions."  
  
"What illusion?"  
  
"That you can be everywhere at anytime, doing the impossible whenever possible."  
  
"First of all, stop downloading Dr. Phil. Second, you don't watch massacres without feeling some share of guilt, okay? So whatever philosophical or religious gesture you have, keep it yours. I'm not interested...not anymore."  
  
"Your anger is necessary, but misplaced. It is not like you to be this irrational. Our present location places this ship and Karone at grave risk."  
  
"It was sure as hell rational for Zedd to butcher all those Karovians. And that's why I've got to end him, Deca. He's too good at it. But to get to Zedd, I've got to knock out his master."  
  
Deca noted that the well-being of Karone was not a part of Andros' argument. Karone's frozen body remained on the viewing screen.  
  
"There is no known information on Unagi Garenth."  
  
"And yet, I was still able to find him. The first to find him. Being a Karovian Corp spy helped out more than I ever imagined...how far?"  
  
"Seven seconds."  
  
"Slow the ship to impulse...and then wait for my command. Do you follow?"  
  
"Energy levels are already de-stabilizing throughout the Megaship. Decks seven, six, and one are shutting down. Karone's deck remains unaffected." Andros' eyes, having not acknowledged Karone's existence on the screen for over minute, shifted towards the controls in front of him. His hands were anxious to engage his enemy. 


	2. Fate of an Enterprise

Issue One, Act One Day of the Portal  
  
Scene Two  
  
Fate of an Enterprise  
  
"Captain's log, supplemental, September 15, 2076. Captain Charles Briggs reporting on the A.K.S. Enterprise-C. Boring, boring and more boring; that's how I describe this mission. We have been out here for a month looking for life, but all we find are lifeless lumps of rock. There was an asteroid with crystallized bacteria on it a few light years back, and I'm sad to say that's the most excitement we've had, enough to declare it an official holiday, but that's not real life. Most of the crew wants to go home, but that's not happening soon. I, too, want to go home and see my wife and kids. All I can hope for is some excitement... preferably something higher on the evolutionary scale than plankton. We should at least be waiting on the other side of the galaxy for an attack from the Almerac and Skrull."  
  
His rant was shattered by an abruptly violent shaking, rattling the captain's tea off a side table next to his chair onto the floor; it broke into millions of pieces and tea spilled out, moving back and forth with the ship.  
  
The captain screamed out, "What in hell is going on?"  
  
A young ensign replied, "Some kind of disturbance in this sector."  
  
"You think? What kind of disturbance?"  
  
"I don't know, sir."  
  
"Captain," chimed the science officer, "...I believe this is some kind of inter-dimensional disturbance. I suggest we move away."  
  
"Good idea, lieutenant. Helmsman, back us off."  
  
"Yes, sir," replied the Helmsman.  
  
As he started up the engines, the ship began to shake more violently, forcing the captain to bark out, "Now what!"  
  
"There is some kind of force pulling and pushing us consecutively; that is why we are shaking," said the science officer, pointing droopily to the main viewing screen.  
  
As they gazed, no one crewmember knew how to reply to the distorted vision they saw before them, not even Captain Briggs as first. The captain took a few investigative steps forward from his chair, eyeballing everything within the screen, and able to identify none of it. It was truly transparent, almost ghost-like in this dead sea of space that the Enterprise drifted in. The disturbance, still unnamed by the crew, carried varied shades of smoky blues and greens, and would periodically blip in and out, sometimes disappearing completely for seconds at a time before returning. It didn't move, not one inch. It was there to stare at the Enterprise, and for the crew to do likewise as the ship continued its forced descent towards it. The captain's strong confidence shattered the suspense.  
  
"Fine, we'll just have to be more forceful than this disturbance. Helmsman- "  
  
"Sir, that my not be a good idea. It could be our engines that is causing the disturbance," interrupted the science officer.  
  
It was something Captain Briggs had already theorized, the first thing in fact. And if it was the Enterprise's doing, he thought, then it would be a simple matter for the Engineering, a task they would welcome to endure in this dead-stumped adventure, but, he considered, just what if it weren't that simple?  
  
Captain Briggs negotiated with himself, debating the risks in an instance's notice, noting the evidence so far, most primarily, the sickening feeling developing in his gut. It was time to decide.  
  
"Well, there is only one way to find out. Helmsman, activate the Hyper- Drive and go to Mach 1."  
  
"Yes, sir."  
  
As they would soon discover to their utter regret, the disturbance had maintained too strong of a grip around the Starship. It was being vacuumed towards this unknown spatial phenomenon.  
  
"All power to engines," fired the captain.  
  
But the science officer yelled out, "No, it's the engines that are causing this. We must stop them now!"  
  
Briggs was trapped in between decisions. His crew knew the Enterprise better than those who built it.  
  
"Maybe your right....Helmsman, stop engines."  
  
"I can't! None of my controls work."  
  
"What?!" yelled the captain.  
  
"I can't stop it; we are being pulled in."  
  
"I'm reading some kind of life on the other side of that portal and I don't think it's friendly," said the science officer.  
  
The readings were naturally unclear, but the science officer could make out vague portions of what he guessed was another vessel; one that he'd never seen the class of in his life. He could see the shades of blue which covered it, and what almost looked like the letter "M" embedded in red on the vessel's back side.  
  
Upon hearing that, the captain yelled out, "Red Alert! All hands to battle stations, raise shie-"  
  
And as abruptly as the disturbance appeared, it was equally abrupt of the manner in which the crew and technology of the A.K.S Enterprise-C vanished from outer space. All that was left behind was echoes of ship debris and the disturbance left to itself. But the sudden silencing of an adventurer's voice was a common pastime in the silence of space. 


	3. Chessmaster

Issue One, Act One Day of the Portal  
  
Scene Three  
  
Chessmaster  
  
The viewing screen was then shut off as the Karovian turned his attention to the pressing matter at hand.  
  
"It's showtime, Deca. Deploy the Cranial Drones from all five transport bays. Arm all lasers and wait for my order."  
  
Five doors slid open with depressurizing hums. The drones, their rear thrusters firing off blue afterburners, their shiney white exterior reflecting a nearby star, lifted off into deep space. The drones, designed after Earthen shuttles, circled around the mammoth Astro Megaship.  
  
"Lasers armed. Andros, consider the risks of this strike. His energy prison is unlike anything in my data banks. The Megaship's weapons will have little effect."  
  
I don't need a mosquito in my ear, thought Andros.  
  
"Channel seven Megaship plasma converters and tap them into the laser cannons. Have the drones target-lock all weapons on the prison's center. I'll fry his ass with everything I've got."  
  
"Your thinking is not logical. Andros- "  
  
Just then, Andros pressed the "mute" button on his control panel, leaving only the echo of silence to fill the air. Cold and sweet silence at last, he thought. Is ridding this universe of the Monarch ringleader so irrational? What the hell am I supposed to do? Should I pray for a miracle? Let the Chancellor get around to it in five years? He continued to enter course settings and scanned the area to ensure that only he and Unagi were currently present. The only two people I loved was taken by this monster, and I'm supposed to sing about it? What justice is that? Where is the justice promised by Drake? What the hell is he using Time Force for besides an elaborate penthouse to get laid in? We've had more than enough time and more than enough chances to destroy Unagi in the past, but Time Force did nothing. It's more concerned over elections and looking nice to interplanetary councils. I hope you're satisfied, Alex, I really do. You'd better be the one praying. After I'm through with Unagi, you've got some answers I've been dying to ask you.  
  
There is was. The energy prison shielding Unagi was as crisp of an image as one could get, which was now zoomed in on the main view screen of the bridge. A collage of bright blues and greens lit up Andros' face.  
  
"Unagi..."  
  
Andros whispered to himself, starring into the depths of the blue and green spherical energy prison that lay afloat in this deeply hidden region of outer space.  
  
-----------------------------------------------------------------------  
  
Opening the door to the shuttle cockpit, he kept his hand on the handle as he absorbed the setting, staring coldly first at the view of deep space, and then at the control panel which he chose to man himself. With only brief hesitation, Andros let go of the handle and reached for his wrist- mounted Morpher, pressing open the hinged latch which carried the Karovian emblem. Beneath that latch were all the buttons he'd not used since the Karovian massacre two years ago, but it was the circuit underneath the sheet of buttons that interested him now. The sheet snapped off, and the Karovian had already disconnected the circuit by the time he sat in the gray cockpit chair.  
  
"Deca, upload this power transfer. Charge the drones with the plasma energies from this circuit," explained Andros, having already inserted the chip into a hidden drive beneath the dark glass of the control panel. After encoding was complete seconds later, a set pattern of computer chimes signaled to him what he wanted.  
  
"Engage accelerators of the lead drone towards the core of Unagi's energy prison. When it reaches 6,000 kilometers, re-route all its circuitry powers primarily to its shoulder cannons. That includes the backup generator."  
  
Andros, his loose fist propped underneath his bottom lip, sat leaned against the front edge of the panel as he laid out his tactics to the onboard computer. He cursed himself for not seeing Unagi's face at this moment.  
  
"Have drones IV and V meet I, and then circle them to the sides of the prison at the same altitude. II will position itself towards the front-top shortly. Has III been prepared as instructed?"  
  
Andros flipped on a red switch on the panel which allowed the computer to speak again.  
  
"Affirmative. But I should warn you, if-"  
  
Andros flipped the voice back off. "Thank you," spoke Andros, nonchalantly. "The drones are set. Now, deploy the Mega Winger via the rear hatch. Unagi won't know what hit him."  
  
"Mega Winger unable to comply," read an electronic message from Deca.  
  
"He's already mounting a counter-strike. Damn it!" He slammed his hand through the glass of a control console. The deep cuts went ignored.  
  
Now rechecking the vital statistics of the Winger, Andros' suspicions were confirmed. Unagi had telekinetically shut down Zhane's old Zord. A fiery spark lit in the commander's eyes.  
  
"Nothing's going to stop him from cutting the power to the other Zords, Deca. If I don't strike now, I won't have another chance."  
  
His hand squeezed a golden locket draped around his neck as tears began to trickle over his chiseled face.  
  
"Deca..." he took in a deep breath and tried to refocus his thoughts, "Deca, initiate self destruction sequence of Mega Winger and Astro Megaship mark II; authentication: Commander Andros of Karova, 08-28-1993."  
  
Andros' telekinetic pathways were alerting him. This wasn't the first time, but each time was weighing more and more on his shoulders.  
  
"Alright, Deca. Engage drones I, VI and V, now!"  
  
A laser barrage now followed. Deep space became littered with the spectral energies from the two drones on the prison sides. Andros alarmingly noted that when the rounds darted into the prison, there was never an impact. The blasts vanished into thin air after entering the prison.  
  
"That's...great." Prying his eyes away from the viewing screen, Andros continued steering the ship's course."  
  
A tentacle deriving from the energy prison shot out and penetrated the crystallized metals of Cranial Drone IV. The drone was then vastly thrown off orbit and drifted as the tentacle, having obviously broken through the life-force shield provided by the circuit from Andros' Morpher, drained what energy was left.  
  
The drone's power was converted to crimson energy which traveled down the tentacle and into the core of the prison, which was thus far unfazed by the barrage. Then with unseen swiftness, the drone was hurled across space, the tentacle sliding out of its mechanical remains, until thrashed into Cranial Drone V. An immediate explosion followed which lit the dark pupils in Andros' eyes. 


	4. Check or Checkmate?

Issue One, Act One Day of the Portal  
  
Scene Four Check or Checkmate?  
  
Drone I charged its shoulder silos, boosted by Andros' circuit and all available power, leaving the replica to float steadily as the silos were unleashed with a fury which rattled nearby planets.  
  
Andros, his fingers working lightning-fast at the control panel, the ship heated intensely from the inside out. Punching in his final commands, the Megaship was propelled with high velocity before shutting down the engines all together.  
  
The Cranial Drones had been a planned distraction. But it was the Megaship which had been Andros' primary tactic all along; getting it close enough to the prison core for a single concentrated crash. The Karovian had no doubts of his victory. Failure on his behalf was too alien to acknowledge. This war, he thought, has cost too many lives. The only way to justify this is for a Ranger to do his duty.  
  
The silos thundered onto the prison, the impact, this time, heard a mile away. As Andros peered, he though he could see the infant screaming, with wide open and staring straight at him. But then, the infant cackled, cooing with pleasurable ease. Next to Zhane's death, it was the most disturbing thing Andros had ever witnessed. The Megaship speared with parts of it combusting and igniting.  
  
A new tentacle pointed its end towards Andros himself.  
  
"Give me your best, you rugrat bastard."  
  
After a brief standoff, each tentacle, one-by-one, jabbed through space. The first one impacted the ship with great force, enough to rock the insides. Within, the tentacle steered through hollow hallways and smashed dents in the walls and collapsed ceilings. The hangar holding the Mega Winger was targeted next. Stalking the vessels, two tentacles simultaneously speared both the Winger and drone I. Fuel tanks were penetrated and began a destructive chain reaction.  
  
Cranial Drone I was ripped apart at every angle conceivable, most of them soon after exploding and sending out powerful shockwaves. Inside the Megaship, the Winger's fiery implosion severed the end of its destructor tentacle; the remainder of which retracted immediately back to the prison.  
  
----------------------------------------------------------------------------  
  
A shooting fireball raged through Karone's cryo-chamber. Tremors followed as it engulfed everything in its path. The shaking was with the fury of a dozen pachyderms. Karone's eyes began to open up as the rattling continued. And as they opened, the peaceful mist that flowed over her precious face and against her sleeping body was all at once swallowed by the flames. The incineration of her dormant body was instant.  
  
-----------------------------------------------------------------  
  
Andros didn't concern himself with how much damage was done or left undone, for he only desired the chance for one Megaship strike. He needed this decoy.  
  
"We're reaching perimeter range, Deca. Engage accelerators!"  
  
As the tentacle disengaged the drone I debris, a massive shadow bore down on the prison. The Megaship was on course.  
  
Andros' fingers waved over his controls anxiously, not jittering in the slightest. He stared into the eyes of Unagi Garenth.  
  
The Megaship propelled itself through an independent energy inhibitor; vacuuming energy debris from all around to launch.  
  
With the Cranial Drones destroyed, only the Megaship was left to contend with the prison itself.  
  
Unagi Garenth observed the incoming inferno with clear sight; his body curled into fetal position and a disturbingly joyous smile surfaced on his face.  
  
Impact...  
  
The silence of space prevailed once more, with only smoky energy debris to occupy it...  
  
The galaxy was an area of dust particles and debris...  
  
What energies remained now surged through all circuitries of the Zord pieces as most floated magnetically into the energy prison; assimilated immediately. No ships were left for Unagi to worry himself over. His threat had passed.  
  
However, the next event which transpired caught Unagi off guard.  
  
It began with lightning strikes appearing from nowhere, which nonsensibly vanished as quickly. It was a repeated pattern with multiplied strikes. The brightness of the strikes began to light up a type of alien scenery in the dead air of space. The prison itself was now stricken by the succeeding lightning bolts.  
  
Unagi determined it to be a rift in spatial fabric, due to the vision being as if it were projected on a flat screen, a screen which transparently divided down the center of the prison. The vision soon became much clearer as more lightning strikes lit it up. It showed a ship, gray in nature and shattered beyond recognition.  
  
However, on one of these pieces, there were markings. They were letters embedded into the metal, scorched letters which displayed half of a name. It read "E-R-P-R-I-S-E C."  
  
The vision plate was now a permanent guest and almost twice the diameter as it remained inserted into the prison's center. The lightning strikes had gone. The plate, determined to be a portal to another universe completely unknown to him, displayed various ruins and vast races of life forms which he'd never before encountered, life forms, which upon instinct, he wanted to taste the life force of. They were not like any Ranger he or his armies had rivaled with. They were beings of flight, speed, and strength alien to that of the Rangers, as well as their suit designs. One of them in particular caught his eye, though he did not yet understand why. This one being seemed average enough, with the exception of the emblem on his chest which was triangular, trapping in the red letter "S." 


	5. Pacing towards War

Issue One, Act Two  
  
Gatherings  
  
Scene One  
  
Pacing towards War  
  
The simultaneous destructions of the Megaship and Enterprise was detected by a force other than that of Unagi Garenth. Millions of miles away from the Enterprise's demise, reactions were already beginning to stir.  
  
"Sir," said a young ensign, sitting at a terminal at AK Corp's Dimensional Tracking Center in Metropolis.  
  
"Yes, ensign," replied Colonel Green, pulled out from deep thinking of how to become a General. But, he thought to himself, since only the Kent family members could get promoted that high, it will never happen. So a few generals went crazy and tried to kill Adam Kelly, that does not mean I will.  
  
"I have detected an inter-dimensional portal opening in the Malcor Star System."  
  
Now Colonel Green was abruptly ripped from thought. "Oh, shit, another portal!?" exclaimed Green. He knew what that meant; someone is going to enter Earth A. Only one of three outcomes will occur, he thought: friends are coming to visit, someone or something is going to invade...or the universe will soon fall apart.  
  
"Your...orders, sir?"  
  
"What's the nearest ship to the portal?"  
  
"The Enterprise-C was assigned to explore that region of space. However, central command reports they lost contact with the ship within the hour."  
  
Damn, damn, damn and double damn, thought Green, this is not good. The Enterprise was either destroyed or damaged. I hope it was just interference from the portal that has prevented communication. "Ask them to find and sent their nearest ship. That's all we and they can do until we talk to the big man upstairs."  
  
The ensign had known who the "big man" was talking about: the commander-in- chief of the AK Corp Army, Andrew Kelly, as he was the on the 420th floor of the one-mile high AK Corp Metropolis Building.  
  
All Green hoped for was that this was not some kind of invasion, and that Andrew would send more ships to investigate. It was now another waiting game. 


	6. Send in the Clowns

Issue One, Act Two  
  
Gatherings  
  
Scene Two  
  
Send in the Clowns  
  
Serpentara's metal screeched against the fabrics of outer space, it's mauling claws, golden in color, swimming freely. It was a familiar sound, that deadly foreshadowing screech deriving from the limbs of the mark II vessel to those who had survived its wrath in 3017.  
  
Its black lips overlapped pieces of the jungle-green teeth which carried a blinding shine. The snout alone was the length of a Megaship, expelling spouts of hissing steam with every stroke through the darkness. Though the Zord was of a technological Dragon-python, its eyes were like that of a wolf; starring deep into one's soul and exposing the darkness burrowed within.  
  
There was a life form standing nearby the crimson blood-eyes, within an invisible energy shield; keeping the man stabilized from the vacuums of space. He stood seven-feet tall, garbed in gold armory from head to toe with red trimmings on the torso, his face being the only exposed part, but even his chin had gold plating, as well as the sides of his face which connected to the horned crown that covered his forehead. The exposed parts of skin were chiseled navy blue face with features matching that of an orangutan, and his snout being two or three inches away from the face. His eyes were as bloody as Serpentara.  
  
He stood with his arms crossed over his sculptured upper chest, the remnants of his black and gold wings tucked in behind him; as if sprung back and ready. Standing on a balcony two stories below Serpentara's eyes, just standing there, Goldar waited with unnerving patience. Before he spoke, the gravel in his voice gathered itself before actual words spewed.  
  
"Name?" inquired Goldar, keeping his arms sternly crossed.  
  
"Oh, tell me you're joking. Or at least a buffoon. The right Teriyaki Sauce makes buffoons quite the treat. General Zurgane, make a note in my journal."  
  
Zurgane, equally armored with black and red markings resembling the Renaissance emerged from Lothor's shadow, flipping open a diary marked "Diary of Master Plans," using a purple and red-feathered pen.  
  
"Done, sir," proudly remarked the warrior.  
  
"Ah. Now then, be a good monkey and step aside."  
  
"Zurgane?" inquired Goldar.  
  
"Uh, yes?"  
  
Goldar examined a scroll of names hidden from Lothor's curious eyes. Anxious moments passed.  
  
"...proceed," spoke Goldar, his monotone gravely voice dragging with fatigue.  
  
"I'm in!" shouted the general, his hands raised above his head as he sprinted for the entrance, all the time wailing with excitement.  
  
"Ingrate, makes one wonder what's between those ears," replied Lothor, his voice noticeably agitated. "I'm never appreciated around here. Monkey- out of my way."  
  
"Name?" spoke Goldar. Lothor closed his eyes and let out a deep sigh, then placing his gloved hand on Goldar's right shoulder armor. The large bouncer growled in disgust.  
  
"You know, I didn't want it to come to this. But now I see I have no choice" His voice began accentuating every other syllable. "Prepare yourself, monkey. Prepare to find out just why I'm among Earth's greatest ninja master! Prepare-"  
  
Snapping into position, Lothor locked his right shoulder against Goldar's waist, pushing with all the effort he had, bracing his feet, which both slid back too far before being readjusted. Lothor's hands repositioned against his foe's torso, again pushing with valiant effort and again coming up short. Goldar had not budged an inch and let out another annoyed growl.  
  
"Lothor!" shouted an optimistic voice from the entranceway, which didn't cease the ninja master's efforts to move Goldar.  
  
"Kinda busy here," said Lothor, his teeth grinding against each other, his large black lips straining past the gums.  
  
But then Lothor instinctively looked up, seeing the face of a man he'd only heard tales of. Almost immediately, Lothor rose up, patting Goldar's armor with nervous chuckling.  
  
"Yes, it all seems intact. Zeddy! It's so nice to finally meet your acquaintance."  
  
"Goldar," spoke Emperor Zedd, "...allow the manic to pass."  
  
Lothor turned to Goldar, smiling as if he'd just conquered five Earths. Goldar bottled his anger well, stepping aside as he eyeballed the passer.  
  
"Come Lothor, everything's about to begin." Zedd kept to the door propped open with the metal railings covering his foot.  
  
"I'd be delighted," spoke Lothor, giving Zedd a huge pat on the back. However, Zedd's outer body was that of pure flesh and muscle with no skin, so spurts of organic juices volcanoed from Zedd's back and dropped all over Lothor.  
  
"Bleh! Let's...keep hugging off the to-do list, shall we?" 


	7. Ballroom of Monarchy

Issue One, Act Two  
  
Gatherings  
  
Scene Three  
  
Ballroom of Monarchy  
  
Beyond the double oak doors was a room which defined magnificence- a ballroom setting designed to comfort Monarchs and villains from all five galaxies of the universe. The floor was as wide as a football field, decored in marble black with white specks to symbolize outer space itself. The round walls were crimson red with numerous flags hanging down carrying the cog insignia of the Machine Empire, the serpent insignia of Lothor's ninjas. Other flags had a skull and crossbones to represent Divatox, dark protruding wings to symbolize Empress Bansheera and demons alike, a magic wand to showcase Empress Rita, and the all-too-familiar "Z" emblem of Emperor Zedd.  
  
About a dozen tables were set up with golden-silk tablecloths, complimented by blood-red wooden chairs. Fake palm trees were abundant among the floor, some reaching eight feet high. The ceiling, however, reached heights of over twenty-three feet.  
  
Preparing the delicacies for the evening was a tamed and quite well- mannered human-like pig creature who had just walked through the swinging kitchen door and placed a fresh plate of raw cookie dough and snake soufflé'. He wore an oversized red chef's hat over traditional Viking-style headgear, with a purple apron covering his pot belly. He treated arrangements as if Unagi Garenth himself would be feasting.  
  
Several identical clay-bodied men took the food by their bumpy left hand and orderly took it to its destination. This particular order of roasted turkey with bile glaze was ushered to table number seven.  
  
"Ah!" gleed Rita, putting away her crystal ball of darkness once seeing the Armani-suited foot soldier arriving.  
  
The waiter first uncovered the turkey, which got Rita wide-eyed with delight. And for dessert, a second, smaller plate was unveiled. And in that was a full bottle of Bayer with Migraine relief.  
  
-----------------------------------------------------------------  
  
Outside, Goldar greeted a late arrival.  
  
"Please state your last and first name," droned Goldar.  
  
"Org, Master."  
  
"Proceed."  
  
---------------------------------------------------------------  
  
Gazing at the Armani tuxes, Lothor sat slumped over in his chair, sipping at his glass of high-protein turtle juice. He sighed at the suit he was wearing.  
  
"Ya know, Zeddy" pretending to be long lost friends, "it says something about yourself when the suit you wear to the grandest of all conventions is only a replica of clay-brain waiters."  
  
"Congratulations, Lothor. You perfectly underscored the point I was going to make."  
  
"Hm?" replied Lothor, his left cheekbone sunk around his propped fist.  
  
"Your priorities are questionable, to say the least. Back when I was in the game, nothing, and hear me closely Lothor, nothing...distracted me from my goals. If I were like you, a fool worrying about a fool's day, the powers of Ivan would have been lost to me forever. The Zeo Crystal would never have endowed me with the wisdom of which I possess today. Lothor, you have utterly wasted your reign as an Earthen ruler, and have disregarded everything symbolic to what the Dark Spector was about."  
  
"So...that's...bad?"  
  
"Fool!" shouted Zedd, rising from his chair and gaining the conference's attention. Then after a moment of thought, the Emperor sat back down calmly. "Just wait until...enjoy the evening, Lothor. That's all you need concern yourself with now."  
  
"Ah, why didn't you say so? Server!"  
  
Emperor Zedd excused himself from the table, muttering to himself something curiously inaudible to Lothor. As Zedd began to walk away, he brushed against a pair of fairly large gold-rimmed wings.  
  
"My apologies, Diabolico," excused Zedd, turning his attentions to him.  
  
"Yes...it's strange," commented the demon Monarch.  
  
"Oh?"  
  
"Though I can't see your mouth, I still know you're smiling grandly. I overheard your...delightful chat with our ninja friend."  
  
"Diabolico, let's just say today is a grand day for those loyal to the cause of Dark Spector and Unagi."  
  
"You know something. Tell me, Zedd." "This invasion...the Revolution, as Unagi likes to term it, will place back into respective some much-needed order among all our forces. It's time we all got what was coming to us- be that a place of prestige beside Unagi himself, or a swift spear through the head. Equity, my old friend...finally, she'll see the light of day! True even in regards to your Empress, and your demon armies."  
  
"Bansheera," said King Diabolico, his tone was disgusted, "her thirst for power can never be satisfied. Not even the destruction of the Lightspeed Rangers was enough, she had to rip the life force from Lokai- the only true- hearted general remaining in her army, and a close friend of my own. Her wickedness serves no purpose to the likes of Unagi. I pray to Unagi that it be her head served at the next council meeting."  
  
"You are truly my brethren. Your works and faiths have earned you the equity you shall receive. The Revolution will see to it."  
  
"Yes...I have my doubts of this invasion. Why would Unagi need more forces from this Roarke Realm just for the Rangers? Something is amiss."  
  
"Let us relax for now, old friend. Take a seat at my table. The band is up."  
  
Diabolico took heed to Zedd's words, all of them. It bothered him inside about the secrecy of intentions. But Diabolico, a time-hardened warrior, kept all remaining concerns to himself, watching as Zedd disappeared amidst the growing crowds. He sat down at the table and found Lothor smiling like a buffoon. Diabolico sighed.  
  
------------------------------------------------------------  
  
Goldar got a sickening feeling upon being approached by the next arrival. Her bright red furs clashed with her blotchy make-up, her cape, which was red as hellfire itself, dragged on the ground. Jewelry was her armor. And as she came closer and closer to Goldar, her hips shifted more and more.  
  
"Goldolf, darling! How have you been?" she leaned over Goldar's body as she spoke. Goldar's ability to hold in anger once again tested itself. "Haven't seen you in ages! Not that I would know, mind you, because I have, well, more important things to do in my time than mingly chit-chat with lowly-, oh, I mean, respected men such as yourself. Though I never really talk to many of you guys anymore."  
  
"Probably because you're a self-centered, obsessive compulsive crybaby who nobody can stand. Just a thought, though."  
  
"Oh, ah-ha-ha! Having a life is something you should really look into," she said, tapping Goldar's chest armor with her acrylic fingernails. "So...if you'd just scoochy on over to the right a little, that'd be simply marvelous. I should be on your little list. Divatox? Actually, I'm probably on top," chimed Divatox, tossing her head back a bit in laughter, "...just look on the top of the li-...no, I should be..."  
  
Divatox was quick to what little patience she had to begin with. The search for her name spontaneously became unnerving.  
  
"...What are you doing! Is this too much work for you? Are you stupid? Just look at the list!"  
  
Divatox was now flailing her arms about as her chalkboard screeches confused Goldar. He couldn't tell whether she wanted in the conference, or if she was rehearsing for a huge drama club.  
  
"The list! The- aaaaaaaaaah!"  
  
Goldar, letting his sword drop on Divatox' foot, watched with satisfying delight as she stumbled around in screeching agony as she hopped on one foot while holding the other, that is, until she fell over the space balcony, sliding down Serpentara's nostril and propelling herself into space, where she was shortly vacuumed into a small black hole nearby. Goldar took out his pen.  
  
"Divatox...no-show," wrote Goldar, lowly cackling as he crossed her name off the bare bottom of the guest list. 


	8. Shayla and the Creeps

Issue One, Act Two  
  
Gatherings  
  
Scene Four  
  
Shayla and the Creeps  
  
As the crowds enjoyed their food courtesy of the surprisingly well mannered chef, their attentions turned to the musical act being set up. Emperor Vile peeked over at the bulletin board by the entrance, which failed to mention anything of it. However, Emperor Zedd's voice was heard over the microphone in front of the room as all eyes turned on him.  
  
"...And after that, Rita wouldn't let me touch her for a week...is this thing on?" Zedd cleared his throat and turned to the audience, finding Rita passed out at her seat from overdosing on Bayer.  
  
"Ladies, gentlemen, demons, mutants, machines, Orgs and anyone else not important enough to waste my breath on, I would like to take this time to cordially welcome you to tonight's Monarch Conference.  
  
Zedd allowed a few brief moments for applause.  
  
"From what I understand," continued Zedd, "...a small musical number has been put together and- ah, I see that they are ready to proceed. Everyone, enjoy the fine performances of..." reads the cue card from Finster in the background, "...uh, Shayla and the Creeps. And as you do, our chef will be passing out his signature delicacy- chocolate crème-filled Ranger heads."  
  
Spotlights shined at the main stage as the lights dimmed. Shayla, dressed in a hippie and punk-rock attire, put on her cheesiest smile as her "Creeps" got ready on drums and electric guitars. Shayla was ready to provide the vocal talent. "Oh, a minor announcement," interrupted Zedd. "The invasion will, for now, postpone all further Yoga classes with instructor Master Org. Enjoy."  
  
The chef scorned his Cog assistants in the back of the kitchen before proudly coming out with his prize delicacy. His hooves carried two silver plates with life-size chocolate replicas of the helmets of the Red Morphin Ranger and Blue Turbo Ranger. General Vile had the compelling urge to dig into the Blue Ranger's head.  
  
However, the Turbo Ranger was presented to a revived Rita. Her father whispered to Master Org nearby.  
  
"Ah, that's not surprising," spoke Vile. "Rita always had a thing for small annoying children."  
  
Emperor Zedd was presented with the Red Ranger's head, much to his delight.  
  
"Oh yes, it's eatin' time!" exclaimed Zedd, now sitting back at his table to rejoin with Lothor, Diabolico and wife Rita.  
  
However, just as Zedd began smashing the face through the openings of his grilled-plated mouth, the sound of Shayla's voice filled the room and immediately had an impact.  
  
"Each day when the sun riiiiises, I hurry from my sleeeeep, I can't wait to greet you with my soooooong..."  
  
"Death" was the main thoughts of the conference majority; their jaws dropped and their eyes filled with tears. The chef began feeling queasy.  
  
"It's horrible! It's horrible!" cried the chef.  
  
"Make it stop!" shouted Master Org from afar.  
  
Empress Bansheera's watery screeching pierced the eardrums of everyone present.  
  
"Bah!" shouted Zedd, "...I think now's a good time for that thousand-year nap."  
  
"...You are nature's greatest majesty..." Shayla continued, and Lothor thought her cheesy Disney-like smile made her look possessed.  
  
"Zeddy, you know all those times I whined about having a headache?"  
  
"Yes, Rita. I had happily suppressed those memories."  
  
"Well, I had no idea what I was talking about until today!"  
  
Slamming his metal-clamped hand down hard onto the table, Zedd then pointed to the chef.  
  
"Pig- collect your payment early!"  
  
With that officially said, the chef ripped off his apron, knocked over tables' worth of hard-prepared food, and darted over towards the band. Zedd leaned over to Rita.  
  
"I made a deal with the pig earlier. If he behaved himself around the food, then he could eat the band as payment."  
  
By the time Zedd had finished his comment, the noise had been silenced. The chef now laid down on the stage rubbing his belly, burping up tie-dye clothing. Massive applause followed.  
  
After the commotion had settled down a bit and the lighting resumed to normal, Master Org enjoyed fresh dear meat as Zedd returned to the podium on stage. 


	9. The Revolution Revealed

Issue One, Act Two  
  
Gatherings  
  
Scene Five  
  
The Revolution Revealed  
  
"Fellow Monarchs, the time has come to attend to more serious matters," spoke Zedd, his gravely distorted voice taking command of the conference. "I'm, of course, talking about the very future...of our kind, and the survival of our Dark Spector's memory and spirit." For a moment, he took the time to gaze proudly at the flags which hung about, comprehending the specific meaning of each insignia. "You have all been brought here tonight to be commemorated for your individual achievements. Tonight, three among us will be hand-picked by the Grand Monarch himself to partake in developing a core backbone to the Monarch Dominion. And those three will carry on their shoulders the weight of proving themselves, once and for all, their worthiness to our league."  
  
The Emperor now purposely paused long enough for quiet commotion to stir among his comrades. Again, he took command.  
  
"To those who are chosen within the next few moments, your invasion force will be henceforth known as the Revolution. Because that is your mission- to revolutionize our forces, so that we may once and for all crush the imbecilic subclass who dare to counter our existence, the Time Force Armada. Fellow Monarchs...I present to you, the absolute, Unagi Garenth!"  
  
On Zedd's mark, Piranhatron foot soldiers behind him took sledgehammers and smashed the wall behind the stage, revealed to be a stained glass covering that cloaked a large window to outer space. In that window was a perfect viewing of Unagi's energy prison. The Grand Monarch's voice took immediate telepathic presence towards the stunned crowds.  
  
When Unagi spoke, his voice carried echoes both deep and deeper pitches. His prison, sparkling of transparent blue and green tentacles, took the conference audience by surprise. Few had ever seen such a presence.  
  
"Loyal subjects of the Monarch Dominion," spoke Unagi, Zedd bowed before him on one knee, "...our time of supremacy casts upon us. Three of our own have suffered the ultimate fate at the hands of Rangers- Scorpius, Mutiny, and Trakeena. Their demise must be your fuel, because their fate is yours if the Armada is allowed to grow.  
  
"I present to you the first who will partake in the Revolution. His Monarch status was declared only hours ago and will be known henceforth known as Emperor Ransik- the newest member of the Monarch Dominion.  
  
His black boots stepping on stage and further crunching the broken shards of glass, a human being emerged. The exposed skin on his arms was wrinkled and horrendously disfigured, nothing compared to his face, however. A metal mask shielded the left side of his face, revealing only traces of scars which lay hidden underneath. He carried with him a silver-bladed Machete. Outraged Monarchs kept their tongues sealed. Unagi continued.  
  
"Second, King Diabolico- you will take your demon armies into this mission, and sacrifice all of them if necessary to your cause."  
  
The warrior Diabolico stood from his chair and bowed before his master, remaining there.  
  
"Commanding the Revolution finally will be the duties of Emperor Zedd. Zedd, reveal to your allies your secret."  
  
He raised up to his feet to face his curious comrades.  
  
"Centuries ago, I found that I possessed a very unique connection to the structure of our universe, the Morphin Grid. It was unique in which I was able to breach its borders and discover two other Morphin Grids, both with their own timeline of Rangers and Monarchs." Commotion immediately formulated, but Zedd would have no part of it. "To that end, I was able to communicate with two life forms in what our Master calls the 'Delta Morphin Grid.' Darkonda, Deviot- present yourselves."  
  
Emerging next to Emperor Ransik, the two strangers stood in silence, gazing at their new allies. Darkonda, the horned bounty hunter demon to Ransik's right, carried a long sword, fantastically defined my muscles in the torso, his face a metallic blue, smiled as deviously as Zedd was commanding. Deviot, to Ransik's left, was a metallic life form whose garb symbolized Earth's Renaissance.  
  
"They were given their orders in the Delta Grid to combine their technologies to build for us an army of unimaginable potential. I present to the Monarch Dominion the future...the Psycho Slayers!"  
  
One by one, they came. Each of them glaring in black metallic. Monarchs all around were on the edge of their seats, for soon there was no room left on the stage. It was a stage full of Rangers.  
  
"Each Slayer initially begins as a blank drone who is assigned a Ranger counterpart. Their purpose is to not only defeat their Ranger, but genetically merge with them, creating a new life form with the Ranger mind unconscious. My two men have made this technology possible and have even assimilated enough beings from the Delta Grid to serve as a foundation for the Monarch Dominion. Feast your eyes on the future of our universe! We have developed enough Slayers to assimilate all of the Time Force Armada two times over! Time Force will be a blessed suppressed memory, for the Age of Monarchy has now begun! And now, I'm pleased to announce the return of one of our fallen Monarchs. I'm now pleased to welcome back...Scorpius!"  
  
A hissing energy field crackles by Zedd, snapping with power. The field, red in nature, varied with thin and thick energy streams, all of which turned thick once reaching the ceiling of the room. Scorpius then materialized within the energy, bloody tentacles whipped out from all sides.  
  
"His bodily form restored from a piece of his dead tentacle left behind by the Quasar Rangers years ago, Scorpius was granted a recharged life force and an evolved structure..."  
  
Emperor Zedd, always enjoying a few moments of suspense, allowed the presence of Scorpius to stir the audience even more. Unagi spoke again before Zedd could have the chance.  
  
"A gateway to a universe outside the Morphin Grids has finally shown itself. It is our tool we must utilize while it remains open to the Roarke Realm, a realm of simpleton life forms not worth the life granted to them. It is they who you must bring back as my slaves to the Dominion. Though some among you may have your doubts, know that your efforts go not unrewarded. When this mission succeeds, all of your armies will increase ten times. The Armada will become obsolete, and the Age of Monarchy shall commence."  
  
"It is time, my allies," cheered Zedd, "to ready yourselves for the beginnings of our ultimate victory. Diabolico, Ranisk- gather your armies. Unagi's will be done!"  
  
The entire conference room began shaking madly, Zedd standing on stage cackling maniacally as the other Monarchs scattered and hurried to leave Serpentara via Unagi's next instruction.  
  
From their view, the madly massive size of Serpentara flying towards Unagi's energy prison was a deafening sight. Ships began descending from the Zord and flying in the opposite direction, one of them clearly of the Machine Empire.  
  
Its joints screeching with every movement, its mouth emitting a piercing roar, and its body slithering through the emptiness of space, nothing stopped Serpentara.  
  
My God...I'm too late. It's too late for the life on the other side of that portal...their lives...I won't allow the nightmares here to elsewhere. My life for theirs...if that's what it comes to.  
  
Andros raised the hood of his cloak back over his head, steering his Cyber Slider back to the dormant wreckage of Mega V1. "Chancellor Drake, come in...get your forces ready, now." 


End file.
